https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h09cMnkApXk
Before their sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995, the Aum Shinrikyo cult released a series of bizarre anime recruitment videos starring their bearded leader Shoko Asahara levitating, phasing, and using other ridiculous supernatural powers.
It’s pretty jarring to see a fringe group that would eventually commit senseless mass murder depicting itself as a gang of cuddly anime characters. Here’s another (possibly NSFW) video, which features a bunch of naked Biblical figures running around or something (unfortunately, neither video is subtitled).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWbeLzWmSXI
And to matters even weirder, Asahara fancied himself a musician and composed music for the group. WFMU has posted the cult leader’s two musical compositions — “Lord Death’s Counting Song” and “Sonshi’s March” — and you can see one of their balloon-filled dance videos above.
Semi-related: Gulliver’s Kingdom, a creepy theme park that was built in the vicinity of Aum Shinrikyo’s sarin manufacturing plant.
https://gizmodo.com/welcome-to-gullivers-kingdom-the-unhappiest-place-on-e-5808855
[Via Metafilter]
